Erik Weihenmayer's Mt. Everest documentary, Farther than the Eye Can See, will continue to show at selected venues around the country in the coming months. The documentary is shot in the same stunning quality HDTV format as the ‘Star Wars’ prequels and directed by award winning filmmaker Michael Brown of Serac Adventure Films. Farther than the Eye Can See is an intimate look inside one of the most successful Mount Everest expeditions ever. According to TIME Magazine, "This is the most successful team in history to climb Mt. Everest." The film beautifully captures the emotion, humor and drama of blind climber Erik Weihenmayer’s historic ascent as well as four other remarkable ‘firsts’ on Mount Everest. “Though there were questions about the wisdom of the attempt before the team even left home, the clear and definitive success of the expedition proves what people working together with a common vision can accomplish,” says Brown. “By rallying behind Erik, nineteen of twenty-one team members stood on the top, including the oldest climber ever to reach the summit, along with his son, an American first. And finally, with the help of Sherpas, we were able to bring an HDTV camera along to capture historic moments with Erik and his team on the summit.”

Farther than the Eye Can See is coming to selected cities on behalf of worthy charitable organizations. All of the premieres will have at least one team member present. The first premieres opened up in Aspen and Denver to sold out theaters and standing ovations. According to the Denver Post, "This is the clearest footage ever taken on Mt. Everest. It's just a beautiful film!"

The next premieres will be hosted by World T.E.A.M. Sports and the National Federation of the Blind on April 22 at the Manor Theater, Charlotte, NC at 7:30 p.m. On May 1, the premiere will move on to New York City at the Walter Reade Auditorium, Lincoln Center at 7:00 p.m. (Erik Weihenmayer will be attending). Please contact Laura Foxx of WTS at 704.370.6070 or John Brennan of the NFB at (410) 659-9314 ext. 271.

On May 5, OLN will be showing the documentary on prime time. Check your local listings for the time.

On May 22, the documentary will be shown in Baltimore at the Maryland Science Center at 6:00 p.m. Please contact John Brennan of the NFB at (410) 659-9314 ext. 271.

On May 27, the NFB of Oregon will be hosting the premiere at the Portland Art Museum at 5:45 p.m. Please contact Brigid Doherty at (503) 287-5204 (Erik Weihenmayer will be attending along with several other team members).

On June 5, the NFB of New Mexico will be hosting the premiere at the Madstone Theater in Albuquerque at 7:00 p.m. (Chris Morris, team member will be attending). Please contact Art Schreiber at (505) 243-6165.

On June 12, 42 Productions of Boulder, Colorado will be hosting the premiere at the Boulder Theatre. Please contact Pete Coggan at (303) 415-0808 for all the information.

On June 13, the NFB of Minnesota will be hosting the premiere at the Coffman Memorial Union Theater, University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis. Contact Jennifer Dunham at (612) 624-6899.

For the complete updated list of all the dates, times and locations of the premieres, please visit Erik's website at www.touchthetop.com Contact me at kevin@touchthetop.com or 602.569.2018 if you belong to or know of a non-profit organization that would be interested in hosting a premiere or if you would be interested in purchasing a VHS or DVD copy of the documentary.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at one of the premieres. Please share this information with everyone in your address book!

Kevin CherillaHighSights Presentations602.569.2018

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"He who climbs upon the highest mountains laughs at all tragedies, real or imaginary." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

There was a nice interview with Erik Weihenmayer (the first blind person to climb the 7summits) on the Coloradoan website .

Here is a fragment:

Quote

Q: What was the feeling like once on the top of the world?

A: It's hard to separate the summit from the whole experience. You take a step and then you're on the top that is the size of a one-car garage. You feel like you're in space. I could hear the sound of space. You can feel the thinness of the atmosphere, the wind is less dense. The sound as it moves though space has an empty sound. It's powerful and really scary. It makes you feel like you're being swallowed up by the sky.

Q: How big of an accomplishment was it to reach the seven summits?

A: When I thought about it at first, it was almost unimaginable. I thought the only ones who could do it were superstars. It's the same as Everest, you just plug away and try not to get too far ahead. Then one day, seven years after you start, it ends and you think that was cool, but it's over, what's next.

Q: What's the biggest frustration of being blind?

A: There are daily things like struggling through an airport and finding the right restaurant. Then there is going to the rec center to get a workout, and the snow covers the path you normally take, so you struggle through, and it maybe takes you an hour to get to the door. Then you realize it's Veteran's Day and it's closed.

Q: What's the most common misconception sighted people have about blind people?

A: People tend to separate themselves from other people. Blind people aren't any different than anyone else. We feel the same sense of adventure, and we don't want to be swept to the sidelines and forgotten. When people read my book ("Touch the Top of the World''), they say "wow, I really learned about disabilities." That's great, but I tell them that I hope they learned something about themselves.

Q: If you hadn't gone blind, how would your life be different?

A: I wonder if I would have had a little bit more traditional life. One thing that blindness enables you to do in the modern world is to be more of a pioneer. I don't want to sound nostalgic, but it's exciting to be the first to see if it can be done. That's 50 percent of the reason why I find things exciting.

Q: If you weren't blind, would you be just another accomplished adventurer?

A: I think so. I'm not that great of an athlete. I just have a lot of focus, drive and friends. There's nothing spectacular about my personality. The fact is, being a blind climber is like being a Jamaican bobsledder. It's not that common. You get attention being a blind climber and doors of opportunities go with it, but I don't get carried away with that.

Here is a recent pressrelease about Father than the eye can see, I will add a personal review soon...

Everest Documentary Nominated for Two EmmysAnother Huge Success at Character Fort Collins

Erik Is Now Watching Over Times Square

The National Television Academy has nominated Farther Than the Eye Can See for two Emmys, one for Outstanding Sports Documentary and the other for Outstanding Camera Work. Michael Brown, the film’s director and cinematographer, and a three-time Emmy winner himself, has shot three Everest summits previously, but this is the first time High Definition has been used on Everest, and the visuals are spectacular. The award ceremony is at the New York Marriott Marquis on Monday, April 19. For more details on the documentary and its other honors, visit www.seracfilms.com . "Farther Than the Eye Can See" is presented by Outside Television in connection with the Outdoor Life Network and Aperture Films, Ltd., directed by Michael Brown, written by Michael Brown and Joshua Colover, produced by Joshua Colover and Chris Blum, co-produced by Erik Weihenmayer and Ed Weihenmayer, associate producer Kim Morris with Les Guthman, executive producer.

Farther Than the Eye Can See played to another full house last Saturday night on behalf of Character Fort Collins (CFC), which promotes that the qualities of good character are essential to reaching our fullest potential and achieving lasting success. The 2-day community event began with three school visits on Friday by Jeff Evans, Erik’s teammate on Everest and also in Primal Quest, the world’s most brutal adventure race. When Jeff told the students about his aimless wandering until he found his passion and purpose in mountaineering and adventure, the kids were hooked, and the faculty and staff just sat back with big smiles on their faces as Jeff delivered his powerful message about shattering perceptions and about hope. On Saturday, Erik and Jeff entertained 300 area youth, their parents and sponsors at the Grand Re-Opening of The Gym at the Rockies. A highlight was Erik’s climbing demonstration on one of the biggest walls in Colorado. Erik dazzled the crowd as he moved quickly up the wall, to great applause, using his hands and feet to scan for holds, and reinforcing the program’s theme of reaching beyond what we may think is possible. A copy of Erik’s book, Touch the Top of the World, was given to each student and family. An evening reception and documentary showing to 650 patrons in the Fort Collins Marriott ballroom capped a magical weekend.

This is a wonderful example of how a small non-profit can package the Everest documentary for large impact in its community. Character Fort Collins earned $5,000 for their efforts, but that is only a small part of the story. Bob Powell, Executive Director of CFC: “While we were pleased with the sell-out and with the financial results, the bigger story is the exciting connection of this community event to Character Fort Collins. It has created a better awareness of our organization and its mission, taken us to a new level…and that is priceless.” Please call Ed Weihenmayer or Ben Witherell if you wish to pursue an Everest documentary showing in your area for your non-profit.

Last week, a huge billboard of Erik on a mountaintop went up in Times Square with the message, “Climbed Everest. Blind. Vision. Pass it on.” This is associated with the campaign of The Foundation for a Better Life which is promoting the values which have made America strong: courage, persistence, compassion, strength…and vision. You will see thousands of these billboards and messages around the country, on highways, in airports, and in movie theaters.

Erik’s Everest documentary, Farther Than the Eye Can See, won two more film awards at the Newport Beach (CA) Film Festival: Best Audience Award for a Documentary and Best Camera Work for a Documentary. This brings to eight the film festival honors for this documentary. On a disappointing note, the film, which was nominated for two Emmys, won neither. At the awards ceremony in NYC. Outstanding Sports Documentary went to HBO for “The Curse of the Bambino”; and Outstanding Camera Work went to NBC for “Ironman Triathlon World Championships.” Still, we were honored to be nominated.

Farther Than the Eye Can See will play for perhaps the final time publicly in Denver on Thursday, May 13 at the King Center on the Auroria Campus, sponsored by the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD). That evening, NSCD will announce its partnership with Erik’s upcoming Tibet expedition, Climbing Blind. For tickets, please visit www.kennethkingcenter.org. A complete update on the expedition will be provided next week.

* For Erik’s Corporate Events/Speaking Engagements: Leading Authorities at 202/783

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"He who climbs upon the highest mountains laughs at all tragedies, real or imaginary." -- Friedrich Nietzsche